Riverdale offered a messy and dark hour for its penultimate episode of 2017. "House of the Devil" focused heavily on the two main couples of the core four, only to seemingly break up both of them by episode's end. Yet the most shocking moment was in the very final scene which suggested that after getting his heart broken by Veronica, Archie started developing feelings for the girl-next-door, Betty. It seems undeniable that Riverdale will have Archie pining after Betty in some form but that doesn't necessarily mean there's a romantic future there.

While sudden, Archie having feelings for Betty doesn't come entirely out of left field. As recently as the season 1 finale, Archie was looking at Betty with some manner of longing. Eventually that was revealed to be him thinking about the stability of Jughead and Betty's relationship, something that was (and is) absent between Veronica and himself. It's therefore reasonable to think that Archie's shirtless bedroom pining falls into a similar camp. Archie isn't so much in love with Betty at the end of "House of the Devil" so much as he's in love with the idea of Betty.

If Archie has been defined by anything on Riverdale, it's his capacity and ability to make mistakes. Archie frequently, if not always, does the wrong thing. Despite the relatively short time of the show there's a long history of Archie pursuing what he thinks is the right idea, only to be proven hopelessly and completely wrong. So it would make sense that after being told by Veronica that she can't get to a place of loving him, Archie would pursue Betty, who he would view as more stable and "normal."

Whether Archie realizes the folly of his feelings or not might become irrelevant. Archie being torn between Betty and Veronica can only end badly for him. (Although it might end up being good for Riverdale as a show.) This is simply because while Archie might be interested in Betty, the chances of Betty returning those feelings are slim to none.

A Dead-End Love Triangle

Betty is completely loyal and in love with Jughead. There seems to be no possible way that Riverdale will break up that couple and certainly not to have Betty run back into Archie's arms. Betty's entire focus seems to be on making her relationship with Jughead work. Betty's not the type of person to go back to her old crush just because Jughead pushed her away to "protect" her. Betty is too determined and/or stubborn to even think about Archie in the same way he's evidently thinking about her. If Betty finds out about Archie's apparent feelings her first reaction is likely to be shock or disdain, not anything close to joy.

There's definitely a certain segment of Riverdale fans who would like to see Archie and Betty together. After all one of the tenants of the Archie comics is the title hero being enmeshed in the classic love triangle, the choice between Betty and Veronica. Yet Riverdale has always acknowledged the conventions of the comics and twisted them to serve their own purposes and/or offer shocking twists.

So Riverdale might have Archie be torn between Betty and Veronica but it won't be a traditional love triangle. Archie won't have the option of pursuing both Veronica and Betty. In fact by being torn between the two girls, Archie might just end up losing them both. Betty, because she no longer has romantic interest in him and Veronica, because she'll be hurt that Archie's feelings are apparently so fickle.

But what do you think? Was Archie's bedroom gawking at Betty a sign of a new romance in the offing? Do you think the show will or should explore Archie and Betty as a couple? Do you think Betty has eyes for anyone but Jughead?